Victoria Beer: Mexico's Best-Kept Secret Debuts

Victoria beer, touted as "Mexico's best-kept secret," makes it debut in Texas today, months after its first stateside release in Chicago. While publicists call its Illinois launch "successful," Chicago brewhounds are slightly less enthusiastic.

"I hadn't heard of Victoria beer before your mention of it," the Chicago Beer Society's president Glenn Rice e-mailed in response to my inquiry about its reception. "Maybe it is a well-kept secret in Chicago as well."

So perhaps Victoria hasn't yet cracked the beer aficionado market. But it's immensely popular with immigrants from Mexico, where the beer's been sold since 1865. Described as "a Vienna-style lager beer that combines a unique copper color with a perfectly balanced taste and a smooth, crisp finish," Victoria was available only on the black market until this year.

"Sometimes Mexican groceries have a few bottles stashed away and sell them at exorbitant prices when someone has a birthday etc.," a poster on Chowhound's Outer Boroughs board wrote in a 2009 comment. "It is good beer."

According to a press release, Victoria will be sold in Dallas "at select on- and off-premise retail accounts targeted to both Hispanic and General Market beer consumers." A "Find Victoria" website has not yet been updated to include Texas locations, but the company's sure fans will track down the brew.

"We believe the authentic history combined with Victoria's distinct flavor will drive long-term appeal and position us for instant success," a release quotes Bill Hackett, president of Crown Imports, Texas, as saying.

Naaa Chicago makes fake Victoria and Dallas Texas I am a big drinker of Victoria ? Why Im from Mexico every year I go and my first drink is a could Victoria .. I all ways bring back two 24s. And yes I had comper the beer from Dallas and is not the same and the bottle is almos the same it has a few details

this beer must be one of the worst of all Mexican beers. I don't understand why US is importing beer when we have the best craft breweries all over US especially in NORCAL. Nonetheless, the best Mex beers I have tried are Bohemia, and Negra Modelo Especial (in glassbottles)

I just bought a six-pack of this at a Valero on N Country Club Rd and Pleasant Valley in Garland. It was so new the cashier had to ask me how much it was. It's tasty, although I think Dos Equis Amber could give it a run for its money.

I work for the distributor it being sold all over but in greater quantities in the East Dallas area gonna pick some up this weekend, also we started delivering Corona Familiar I haven't has the pleasure but everyone says good things about it and we can keep it in stock.

Just wanted to say "good job" uncovering a real, live cross-cultural grassroots trend that is just taking off. In the kitchen where I work the staff is 100% Hispanic and they can't stop talking about their love for this brew. You know, anyone can opine on what makes a restaurant good but seeing your post made a bunch of cooks hoot and holler. Nice piece of decidedly unpretentious food trend reporting. Thanks.